Does the NBA have a serious officiating problem? Or do we just love conspiracies?

Watching the Heat beat the Celtics, there were times where I was yelling at my own TV about some non-calls on the Celtics. Now that the game is over, it makes me wonder whether the NBA's officiating is really as bad as we believe it is (To the point in which the refs literally favors one team more than the other) or is it all just in our heads (In terms of being bias, like how I'm bias cuz I hate the Heat). Though I do have to say that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh clearly outplayed the Celtics in the 4th quarter since the Celtics just gave up in the 4th. Thoughts?

I think it is a serious problem. For a superstar to average less fouls per game than MJ did and it's super rare that a superstar averages under 2 while he averages 1.5. Last playoffs I thought one of the commentators said Lebron was averaging 12 free throws a game.... When I watch those games it seems to me that calls that are 70/30 calls that are 70% in favour of the other team, the refs seem to let Miami have it and really I would be fine with Miami getting the 50/50 calls but it's much worse than that.

Whoever told you skies the limit is looking dumb because I'm 22 and i'm moonwalking on the sun.

The biggest problem I have with refs is not them favouring one team over another, but more favouring superstars over others. That is the reason Miami is always accused of having help from the refs, they have two superstars who know how to draw fouls/flop.

An example would be game 1 was it? Celtics got called for 7 technicals, the most notable was Doc Rivers saying "Come on Eddie!" to an official. There were phantom techs on Garnett and Allen. There was horrible reffing all around. At the end of the game, Garnett fouls James hard, James grabs the basketball, sticks his arm out to KG's face, and just laughs. Clear taunting tech, but it was not given. The refs treated Lebron differently then how they treated KG. That is wrong. Game 2 was the worst officiated game since maybe Phoenix vs Portland in Game 5 of the 2010 series to me. Just sad to watch as a fan of basketball. When you get the feeling, "there is no way Miami is going to lose this game" because of officiating.

This is frustrating to me as a fan, because I think this series should have been over by game 5. Celtics lost game 1, but game 2, 3, 4, 5 they won (they were robbed in game 2). So now we have a finals where OKC will play Miami. While it is the finals most of us wanted, the finals Stern wants (for ratings), I feel it is not the two most deserving teams.

What also is frustrating is that coaches and players can not even fully complain about this problem or you get fined (as Frank Vogel was this year). How is a problem going to be fixed if the league does not even acknowledge it? Coaches should be able to say what ever they want. When your coaches are complaining, there is obviously a reason. Why ignore it?

Here are the facts: With the replay capabilities on my Bell Box, within 5 seconds of the play I can make a more informed call than the referee can.

Figure out a way to delay the foul call, (similar to hockey) and have a side-line Referee, whos job it is to simply sit and replay any play where there might be some need of a second look. Turn on a light on the back-board to signal delayed foul, and Bobs your uncle. Next Time-Out or Whistle, award Free-Throws, or appropriate foul.

Last edited by Joey; Sun Jun 10th, 2012 at 11:05 AM.

"That was Nasty right? Cocked that Joint back and banged on 'em." -James Johnson

Another way is to have an automated refereeing system, with each player being planted computer chips that activates when certain amount of force is delivered. That way, they set a certain threshold on how much contact is allowed. Hence, equal fouls.

But it will never happen & I honestly believe that referees are given orders from the NBA office to favour certain players/teams.

The referees had much to do with how the last 2 teams turned out to be OKC and MIAMI. That goes for both teams. The only way to stop the referees is to have someone like Dirk last year mess it up by going apesh!t.

There's also no such thing as home court advantage anymore. There were plenty of times where the Raptors could not get a damn call to go their way. One example was the Orlando Magic game, when Dwight scored like 36 on the Raptors. One incident had Dwight run over Jose, to which, a blocking foul was called on Jose.

Another example is the San Antonio - OKC series, where the refs stepped in every time the Spurs had the chance to run away with it. One 1 instance, Ginobili was called for a charge on Durant, when he sidestepped and hit Durant on the side. If that was a charge, then Harden and Wade should have been called for similar charges in tonight's game. To add on to that, Ginobili was called for another charge after handing the ball to the corner to a teammate and attempting to screen off the OKC player. That was a 6 point swing that ultimately decided the outcome.

There's so much inconsistency in the NBA and I think that it has a lot to do with pushing for certain teams to be in a spot light because of the revenue generated by superstars. For teams without the fire power that OKC and MIAMI have, it is very difficult for the teams to generate the same calls. It's part of the human aspect of officiating. However, I have noticed a significant amount of bad calls this year.

David Stern obviously wants the sexy match-ups. The first 2 games of the Finals proved to be the most watched Finals, beating out the Lakers - Pistons in 2004, I believe. Stern is an evil genius. Evil, because much transparency and integrity of the game have been lost. Genius, because he has single-handedly evolved the league into the colossal enterprise that it is today.

Superstars get calls, and they know it. As a result, they learn how to find ways to get the calls in order to take advantage of it. I can't help but get frustrated with either Heat or Thunder supporters when they complain "refs are stupid" or "refs blew the game" because both teams have had their fair share of "invisible hand" moments.

“I don’t create controversies. They’re there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention.”

There's so much inconsistency in the NBA and I think that it has a lot to do with pushing for certain teams to be in a spot light because of the revenue generated by superstars. For teams without the fire power that OKC and MIAMI have, it is very difficult for the teams to generate the same calls. It's part of the human aspect of officiating. However, I have noticed a significant amount of bad calls this year.

David Stern obviously wants the sexy match-ups. The first 2 games of the Finals proved to be the most watched Finals, beating out the Lakers - Pistons in 2004, I believe. Stern is an evil genius. Evil, because much transparency and integrity of the game have been lost. Genius, because he has single-handedly evolved the league into the colossal enterprise that it is today.

this is all of it to me. and just a thought on conspiracy when stern went at rome for asking questions i thought of dave chappelle getting accused of having sex with a woman he has never had sex with before.

What also is frustrating is that coaches and players can not even fully complain about this problem or you get fined (as Frank Vogel was this year). How is a problem going to be fixed if the league does not even acknowledge it? Coaches should be able to say what ever they want. When your coaches are complaining, there is obviously a reason. Why ignore it?

Coaches can't be allowed to say what they want all the time unless you want to have a refs press conference after every game as well.

Even if you did it would just be them explaining themselves. A coach can explain himself at a presser as well as complain about the other team and refs. What would the refs have to complain about? Plus, nobody would want to ref in a league where they have no power, where they areconstantly under scrutiny and it's like the league doesn't care because they don't do anything.

But, the most important reason is what all those factors equal and that is a ref strike being alot more common because they'll constantly want more money.

Which means less money for the rest of the whores.

I can agree there is always a reason why coaches complain and I know we can also agree that some of those reasons are stupid.

If you believe anything that Donaghy said then yes, there is a serious problem. I'm not sure if I believe everything he said but some of it, maybe.

No, you definitely can because it was in a book. The only way those get published is when you allow the publisher, editor, even yourself as the aurhor to twist some things and add a few big slices of bologna.

Well brother, on a wrestling standpoint I do feel like certain refs will try to go for that three count just a little faster when my back is on the mat, but not even with the refs help in a handicap match can stop the strongest force in the universe.

Watching one NBA game and that's any NBA game and you'll see a problem right on the surface. There are calls established for certain tiers of players. Calls for one guy might be no calls for the next. It all depends on things I have no idea about but it's clearly in place and you can see it on display in every Raptors game.

LBF wrote:

No, you definitely can because it was in a book. The only way those get published is when you allow the publisher, editor, even yourself as the aurhor to twist some things and add a few big slices of bologna.

There's a thing called defamation. Look it up. Most companies would rather avoid the consequences of breaking such laws.

I'm one of the two people who voted no. I didn't watch the Celtics series, but I did watch every OKC Miami game. I do think that refs will always miss calls, but I don't think the refs determine who wins. IMO refs seem to do a bad job all the way around and bad calls happen to both teams. I do think that there are problems in the NBA that could be fixed, but I don't think there's a conspiracy.

"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

I'm one of the two people who voted no. I didn't watch the Celtics series, but I did watch every OKC Miami game. I do think that refs will always miss calls, but I don't think the refs determine who wins. IMO refs seem to do a bad job all the way around and bad calls happen to both teams. I do think that there are problems in the NBA that could be fixed, but I don't think there's a conspiracy.

Don't you think that refs should have a yearly assessment on their performance and skills? Cuz I mean there are some really obviously bad refs in the league. *cough* Joey Crawford *cough*.